Hemerocallis Plant Named &#39;WF 73&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Hemerocallis  cultivar named ‘WF 73’ is disclosed, characterized by its excellent landscape performance, resistance to daylily rust, orange-red flower color, with a yellow throat. Plants bloom very early and have evergreen foliage. The new variety is a  Hemerocallis , normally produced as an outdoor garden plant.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Hemerocallis hybrid

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘WF 73’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Hemerocallis cultivar is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the inventor Philip Dale Westmoreland, in SouthernLouisiana. The objective of the breeding program was to produce newHemerocallis varieties with strong performance in the landscape. Thisincludes such characteristics as clear color, repeat bloom over a longperiod, strong and upright flower scape, high bud count, fade resistanceof blooms, foliage appeal, and maintaining plant vigor throughout theseason in a general landscape environment where it may not get optimumcare.

Since the advent of daylily rust, beginning in approximately 2000,caused by Puccinia hemerallidis, the top priority in the breedingprogram has been to develop seedlings with a high resistance to daylilyrust, in addition to the previously cited characteristics. The selectionprocess involves no application of fungicides on any cultivars in ourhybridizing program. This practices results in a loss of many cultivarsin the program, but is necessary to determine which varieties may berust resistant.

All daylilies from this program are hybridized, evaluated, andmultiplied in plastic nursery containers using pinebark screenings as agrowing medium and using overhead sprinklers for irrigation. They aregrown in full sun outdoors year round. Each cultivar selected isconfidentially evaluated for a period of 5 to 10 years.

The cross resulting in the variety know as ‘WF 73’ was made during 2006.The seed parent is an unnamed, unpatented proprietary seedling, as isthe pollen parent. The new variety was selected in the September of 2009by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2006crossing, at a commercial nursery in Franklinton, La.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first performed by rootdivisions at a the same commercial nursery in Franklinton, La. during2009, and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stableand reproduced true to type over multiple generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘WF 73’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘WF 73’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘WF 73’ as a new and distinct Hemerocalliscultivar:

1. Excellent landscape performance

2. Orange-Red flower color, with a yellow throat

3. Very early blooming.

4. Repeat blooming

5. 20 inch scape.

6. Dark green foliage

7. Highly resistant to daylily rust.

8. Evergreen foliage.

9. Deep, consistent attractive margin ruffling.

10. Upright foliage

The inventor is unable to compare ‘WF 73’ to the parent varieties, as itis unknown which proprietary varieties are the actual parents.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘WF 73’ are comparable to the unpatentedcommercial variety Hemerocallis ‘Orange Crush’. The two Hemerocallisvarieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however,the new variety ‘WF 73’ differs in the following;

1. Rust free.

2. More erect bloom scape.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘WF 73’ can also be compared to theunpatented commercial variety Hemerocallis ‘Kwanso’ These varieties aresimilar in most horticultural characteristics; however ‘WF 73’ differsin the following;

1. Much larger flower.

2. Evergreen foliage. The comparator has foliage that goes dormant inwinter.

3. Repeated blooms for 90-100 days. The comparator blooms once only.

4. Very strong upright flower scapes. The comparator flower scape willdroop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘WF 73’ grown outdoors, in a 1 gallon pot. Age of theplant photographed is approximately 1 year old. The photograph was takenusing conventional techniques and although colors may appear differentfrom actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate aspossible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 2007 except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘WF 73’ plants grown outdoors in Camarillo,Calif. The growing temperature ranged from approximately 10° C. to 35°C. during the day and from approximately 5° C. to 23° C. during thenight. General light conditions are bright, normal sunlight.Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical planttypes.

-   Botanical classification: Hemerocallis hybrid ‘WF 73’-   Propagation:    -   -   Root description.—Rhizomes. Thick, typically colored near            Orange-White 159C.        -   Propagation method.—Rhizome divisions or tissue culture.-   Plant:    -   -   Age of plant described.—Approximately 12 months.        -   Container size.—1 gallon.        -   Growth habit.—Evergreen semi-hardy perennial.        -   Height.—Approximately 48 cm to top of highest leaf            Approximately 60 cm to top of highest inflorescence.        -   Plant spread.—Approximately 40 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate to rapid.        -   Branching characteristics.—Non-branching, forms basal            clumps.-   Foliage:    -   -   Leaf.—Growth habit: Mainly upright. Average Length:            Approximately 50 cm. Average Width: Approximately 2.6 cm.            Shape of blade: Narrow lanceolate Apex: Acute Base: Truncate            Sheathing: No Margin: Entire Texture of top surface:            Glabrous with minute ridges. Texture of bottom surface:            Glabrous with minute ridges and a very prominent mid-vein.            Quantity of leaves per plant: Average 24 Color: Young            foliage upper side: Near RHS Green N138A Young foliage under            side: Near RHS Green N138A Mature foliage upper side: Near            RHS Green N138A, but darker Mature foliage under side: Near            RHS Green N138A Venation: Type: Linear. Venation color upper            side: Near RHS Green 137A Venation color under side: Near            RHS Green 137A.-   Flower:    -   -   Natural flowering season.—Typically early Spring until Fall.        -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Single flowers occurring in            clusters of 3 to 6 on a scape.        -   Flower longevity on plant.—2 to 4 days from fully opened.        -   Quantity of open flowers per plant at one            time.—Approximately 3 to 12.        -   Inflorescence size (excluding scape).—Height: Approximately            18 cm. Width: Approximately 20 cm.        -   Individual corolla.—Arrangement: Rotate Size: Length:            Approximately 15 cm Width: Approximately 11 cm at widest            point. Tepals per corolla: 6 Margin: Entire, with deep, even            very attractive ruffling. Tepal Shape: Ovate Apex: Acute,            ruffled. Texture: Glabrous, all surfaces.        -   Color.—Tepals: When opening: Outer surface: Near RHS            Greyed-Orange 170A Inner surface: Near RHS Orange-Red N30A,            tube Yellow 13A Fully opened: Outer surface: Near RHS Orange            25A Inner surface: Near RHS Orange-Red N30A, and N30B and            Orange-Red 30A and 30B. Streaked with Yellow 12A and Yellow            4D. Tube Yellow 13A Aging Flower color: Outer surface: Near            RHS Orange 25A Inner surface: Near RHS Orange-Red N30A, and            N30B and Orange-Red 30A and 30B. Streaked with Yellow 12A            and Yellow 4D and White 155A. Tube Yellow 13A.        -   Bud.—Shape: Elongated and oblong Length: Approximately            5.5 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1 cm. Color: Near RHS Orange            25B.        -   Scape.—Length: Approximately 51 cm Width: Approximately 0.8            cm Angle: Upright, straight Strength: Very Strong Color:            Near RHS Green 138A, but darker.        -   Peduncles.—Quantity per scape: typically 2 to 6 Length:            Approximately 5 cm to 12 cm. Width: Approximately 0.5 cm.            Aspect/Angle: Approximately 45 degrees Texture: Glabrous            Color: Near Green RHS 138A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Number: Average 6 Filament Length: Approximately            8.5 cm. Filament Color: Near RHS Orange 25B Anther length:            0.4 cm Anther color: Near RHS Greyed-Orange 170B Anther            shape: Symmetrical and oblong Pollen: Moderate.        -   Pistil.—Number: 1 Length: Approximately 9.5 cm. Style color:            Near RHS Orange 25B Stigma: Shape: Linear Color: Near RHS            Orange N25A Ovary color: Near Green RHS 137A.-   Other characteristics:    -   -   Seeds and fruits.—None observed to date.        -   Disease/pest resistance.—Common to other Hemerocallis            varieties.        -   Temperature tolerance.—Tolerates temperatures from            approximately below 0° C. to 35° C.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis plant named ‘WF 73’ as herein illustrated and described. 